The Herd Boy and His Hermit eBook

Then turning again to the young noble, he poured out
his love, devotion and gratitude for being able to
serve his beloved lord’s noble son; while poor
Hal stood under the discomfort of being surrounded
with friends who knew exactly what to say and do to
him, their superior, while he himself was entirely
at a loss how to show himself gracious or grateful
as he knew he ought to do. It was a relief when
Sir Lancelot said ’Enough, good Simon!
Forget his nobility for the present while he goes
with thee to Derwentside as herd boy to Halbert Halstead
here; only thou must forget both their names, and
know them only as Hal and Hob.’

With a gesture of obedience, Simon listened to the
further directions, and how he was to explain that
these south country folks had been sent up in charge
of an especial flock of my lady’s which she
wished to have on the comparatively sheltered valley
of the Derwent. Perhaps further directions as
to the training of the young Baron were added later,
but Hal did not hear them. He was glad to be
dismissed to find Piers and gather the sheep together
in preparation for the journey to their new quarters.
Yet he did not fail to hear the sigh with which his
stepfather noted that his parting salutation was far
too much in the character of the herd boy.

CHAPTER VII. ON DERWENT BANKS

When under cloud of fear he lay
A shepherd clad in homely grey.—­Wordsworth.

Simon Bunce came himself to conduct his new tenants
to their abode. It was a pleasant spot, a ravine,
down which the clear stream rushed on its course to
mingle its waters with those of the ocean. The
rocks and brushwood veiled the approach to an open
glade where stood a rude stone hovel, rough enough,
but possessing two rooms, a hearth and a chimney,
and thus superior to the hut that had been left on
the moor. There were sheds for the cattle around,
and the grass was fresh and green so that the sheep,
the goat and the cow began eagerly feeding, as did
the pony which Hal and Piers were unloading.

On one side stretched the open moor rising into the
purple hills, just touched with snow. On the
other was the wooded valley of the Derwent, growing
wider ever before it debouched amid rocks into the
sea. The goodwife at once discovered that there
had been recent habitation, and asked what had become
of the former dwellers there.

‘The woman fretted for company,’ said
Simon, ’and vowed she was in fear of the Scots,
so I even let her have her way and go down to the
town.’

The town in north country parlance only meant a small
village, and Hob asked where it lay.

It was near the junction of the two streams, where
Simon lived himself in a slightly fortified farmhouse,
just high up enough to be fairly safe from flood tides.
He did not advise his newly arrived tenants to be
much seen at this place, where there were people who
might talk. They were almost able to provide
for their daily needs themselves, excepting for meal
and for ale, and he would himself see to this being
supplied from a more distant farm on the coast, which
Hob and Piers might visit from time to time with the
pony.